Freelancing for Tehelka

If you want to write features for Tehelka here are some suggestions.

Regular columns

1. Personal Histories

Personal Histories is a section where people recount or examine a transformative life experience, tell some kind of significant personal story, or express opinions candidly, almost as a sort of public diary. Subjects range from parents, family, yoga, sex, drugs, violence, work, therapy, assault, travel, friendship, etc. It's very open and flexible, and if you are interested, Tehelka would enjoy hearing from you.

Things to remember

The word limit is always about 550 words.

Email your submission to editors[at]tehelka[dot]com.

Remember to mark 'Personal Histories' in your subject line.

Read previous submissions on the web at www.tehelka.com.

2. Culture Vulture

Culture vulture is a column for a witty and angular examination of cultural trends, artifacts, events. It needs to be contemporary and have some fresh insight.

Things to remember

The word limit is always about 350 words.

Email your submission to editors[at]tehelka[dot]com.

Remember to mark 'Culture Vulture' in your subject line.

Include a short bio.

Read previous submissions on the web at www.tehelka.com.

Your feature ideas

I would urge you to read a few issues of the magazine before sending in feature ideas. While the range of things you can write about is fairly limitless, all pieces need to have an India peg.

1. When pitching your story idea write a short (two or three paras at the max) description of the piece you want to write. In this pitch you need to sell the story so be enthusiastic in writing the brief.

2. Write a short bio so that it becomes evident why you are the right person to write this story.

3. Include writing samples if you have any. Previous publishing history is good but not absolutely necessary.

4. For God's sake, spellcheck your brief and bio.

5. If it is a photo feature, include a few images from the proposed feature.

6. Mail your story idea to Shoma Chaudhury, Features Editor, Tehelka. Mail her at shoma [at] tehelka [dot] com. In your subject line write 'Features Story Idea'.

7. If you have not heard back in 2 days, make a polite follow-up phone call.

8. The quality of writing is relatively high at Tehelka so it's not generally a good place for people without confident writing styles.


Payment practices

Whatever you may have heard (and Tehelka is notorious for non-payment) in actual fact Tehelka does pay its contributers. I started as a freelancer for Tehelka and now work there so I can vouch for that much.

Payment works out to around Rs 2 per word unless you have something specially juicy. Negotiate.

But you DO need to get  pretty proactive since the organisation is small and fairly haphazard. Payments usually run in 60 day cycles. After your piece has been accepted and published, mail whoever was your commissioning editor (the person who wrote to you saying that they want your piece). In this mail mention the name of the piece and the issue no. But most importantly in this mail mention your postal address and telephone number.

Feel no shame in making follow-up phone calls. It's your money and your article.